American astronaut who died during the failed

re-entry of Space Shuttle Columbia

Indian American wins the top medal

Indian American, Raj L Gupta, Chairman, President and CEO of Rohm and Haas Company has been chosen for the chemical industry's most prestigious honour - the 2007 Chemical Industry Medal, by the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
This organization awarded annually for contributions toward the growth of the chemical industry. Gupta, an Indian American citizen believed that people around the world want the same thing, an opportunity for demonstratin their talents and abilities and to put their talents to help improve the quality of life for themselves and for others. The global chemical industry provides all of those opportunities.
Indian Americans are the third largest Asian American ethnic group following the Chinese and Filipino American communities. Indian Americans are different to American Indians known as Native Americans. They are the richest ethnic group in the United States with the median household income of $46,326. One in every nine Indian American is millionaire. Indian Americans are represented in many fields including academics and entrepreneurs, doctors and lawyers, engineers and financiers. As much as 58% of Indian Americans over the age of 25 hold a bachelor's degree or higher. High levels of education have also enabled Indian Americans to become a productive segment of the U. S. population, with 72.3% participating in the work force.
Indian Americans have brought many cultural elements to North America. For instance Indian cuisines in United States are very popular. Regarding to religion most Indian Americans have spread their Hindu religion in United States as well. Hinduism after Christianity and Islam is the largest religion in the world. Today, Hinduism is among the fastest-growing religions in the United States and many Hindu temples; most of them built by Indian Americans have emerged in different cities and towns of America. The number of Hindus in the United States is approximately 1,478,670, or 0.5% of the total population.
The reason Indian Americans have very rich status in United States of America is English language and hard work. English language is very common in India because India's was for along time the colony of England so when they come to America they can easier be assimilated to the new life there comparing to other immigrants group.
The other factor is hard working. When immigrants move to new country and settled in the minority group they work harder than the time they are in their mother land. To achieve social status and glorify their talents they will work harder. Iranian Americans are the same.

Oath in Quaran and Islamophobia

Keith Ellison the first Muslim congress man who has been elected in the recent mid term election in U.S.A in January 3rd 2007 during ceremonial swearing took an oath in Quaran. This African American congress man who is the target of two discriminations; skin color and his religion was brave enough to start his responsibility with relying on God's versus. Interestingly, the Quaran that he sweared to was owned by Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of United States. Ellison borrowed the holy book form the library of Congress.
Keith Ellison's practice created many discussions in U.S. Some who are cons believed that the congress will have more Muslim congressmen/women in future and they will follow him. This is by the way that the Christian congressmen take their oath in bible. The Virginia representative Virgil Goode released an Islamophobic letter to CNN on Wednesday that made Council on American-Islamic Relations to ask Goode to apologize. This letter was a critic to Ellison's oath in Quaran. Goode claimed that they have to make new strict laws against immigrants specially the one who are from Middle East. He is also frightened about Muslim's immigration to United Sates in the next century. This message indicated the intolerance of some politicians in U.S about other religions and ideologies. Part of this intolerance might rooted in 9/11 that now islamopohbia is becoming very common.
Islamopohbia is a controversial neologism defined as the phenomenon of prejudice against or demonization of Muslims, which manifests itself in general negative attitudes, violence, harassment, discrimination, and stereotyping (particularly vilification in the media. This term goes back to 1980 and early 1990 and reinforced from 9/11. Jehanzeb Hasan, a research assistant at California State University, argues that Islamophobes are actually reacting to "Osamaism", not Islam. He believed that islamophobia is not racism because Islam is a religion and the adherence to it a matter of choice and islamophobia is a tired catchphrase.
Ellison's action had an islamophobic reaction for his cons. What he did is very positive and brave. It has a message of good news for discriminated people in U.S that they will have space in higher positions of American hierarchy. He is a hope for the people of minority groups but a threat to Anti- Muslim Americans.

God father died in 73

James Brown an influential figure of American popular music died in December 25, 2006. He was a singer, songwriter, band leader and the record producer who was known as God father of Rap music. His contributions are undeniable in American music especially in Jazz, disco, dance and electronic music and hip hop music. Actually he provided a ground that much of the black music stands on. Hip hop or Rap music is a style of music that came to existence in the United States during the mid -1970 and became the big part of modern pop music in 1980. The hip-hop culture started in the mid-1970’s amongst young African American people. The culture swept the black community like a wind storm. Rap music became the way of expression and speech. Young hip-hop artist started to express their emotions and frustrations through song, music and dance. This new way of communication for young blacks became so popular that it changed the way people think, act, dressed, and communicated. Rappers were able to tell the stories of the struggles that black families faced on a day to day basis. Rap music became known on a national and international level.
This music style was actually a cultural movement from the inner-city youth mostly African Americans in New York City in early 1970. By 1979 hip hop had become a commercially popular music genre and began to enter the American mainstream. In 1990 kind of hip hop music called gangsta rap became common that promoted terrorism, violence, promiscuity, drug use and misogyny. All Eyez on Me (1996) was a highly influential album for the genre and is one of the most successful rap albums. By 2000 hip hop was a staple of popular music charts and was being performed in many styles across the world. This cultural movement also had fashion, slang and other elements like social relationship. This lifestyle had impacts on youth as well. Those were egotism and some of the followers incite anti social behavior like harassment, towards education, rejection of authority, and petty crimes such as vandalism. This subculture insisted on hyper masculinity as well.
This cultural movement not only flowed in America, Europe, and Asia but also to the Middle East countries which are mostly Muslim. When I was a guidance school student I remember the spread of this music. My fiends used to listen to it and being fan of this style was a kind of prestige among my school students. It was not only listening to this music but also it has a life style of its own. I remember during that time they torn their jeans and wear lots of big rings with very horrible pictures on it. Even the T-shirts with Rap sign was very common during that era and even in some schools having any kind of these elements was forbidden. I myself didn’t enjoy listening to this kind of music because it was kind of noisy music that gave me sense of horror. All elements of this cultural movement were not in parallel with my cultural background. To me hip hopism was from the existence a manifest of social grievances.

film review

Drums along the Mohawk

Year: 1939
Genre: War, Western, Adventure
Director: John Ford
Screenwriter: Walter D. Edmonds
Music: Alfred Newman
Main Actors: Claudette Colbert (Lana), Henry Fonda (Gil), Edna May Oliver (Mrs. McKlennar)
Nominations of Academic rewards: best supporting actress (Edna May Oliver), Best Cinematography (Ray Rennahan and Bert Glennon).


Plot

This historical film basically is depicting revolutionary era of American History in 1776 and the problems of Americans with Tories, the Indian Allies of British Army in the territory of Mohawk River. With this basic theme, the story is started with the marriage of Gil Martin (Henry Fonda), a war-era farmer with a wellborn women Lana (Claudette Colbert). The film from the beginning showed the process of their shared life which is simultaneous with Indians invasions to Mohawk. To start their life, they moved to Dorr field, Close to Mohawk in a cabin built by Gil. During the story we see how these two and other neighbors are engaging to defend their land from Indians invasion and the changes that happened to their family role during the wars. Men joined the army and moved to frontier for defending the lands and women stayed at home to take care of children and nursing the war injured. Indians invasions were showed too much cruel and savagery and Americans lost their home, farming lands and properties. Blue Back was the only Indian in this film who was with Americans and was spying for them about Indians attacks. Lana and Gil found a job in Mrs. McKlennars house and she gave them salary, room and food. She was very serious but very kind and caring widow who supported them so much during the war crisis for their cabin was burned by Indians invasion.
Lana during the war gave birth to a son and a Mother Role added to her responsibilities and also Gil was supposed to handle a Father Role but he was busy with war so Lana had to play instead of him as well. Their family formation became more completed as we move on threw the end of the film and we can see how much Lana had changed from the beginning of the story. Now she know how to live like a frontier women .At last they move backed to their territory to build up their Cabin again and the Americans could defeated Indians and made a unity of 13 sates of America. The film ended with showing American Flag which impressed the belonging sense of Americans to a united nation.
In this film you can find out how American society was at that time. Economy was based on agriculture, men and women both worked on the farms, rich families had black slaves. Politics was very important to people. And the soon they got to know each other they asked about their affiliation to political parties. Everything was collective and individualism was not meaning full at that time. Because it was a crisis era and Americans needed to be united for defeating their subjugation under British colonization. They helped each other at the time of Indian's invasion. They all support one another even. While running away they helped each other to be safe.
This film is produced in 1939. This is by the way that in 1930s the Production Code wrote by Jesuit Priest and a catholic Layman as a list of could and could not depict in Hollywood movies. Not only political themes and acts of graphic violence to be censored but issues of sex and sexuality in the movies were strictly monitored. Even the couples sexually relationship was prohibited to be depicted. That is why in this film you could easily feel the traces of production code. Gil and Lana's relation is limited in front of the camera and in it instance this film is not like today's American films which sexual relationship is very common in it.
Christianity in this film is very salient. For church was one of those important and central institutions in the Mohawk's people's life. Church was shown as a safe place that women and children could refuge to it while Indians invaded. Marriage took place there and even important news and declaration of unity for fighting against Indians was announced there.
A drum along the Mohawk has a war, Adventure and western Genre. Western because Americans were fighting against Indians and tried to remove the wilderness.

Characters

Henry Fonda is the actor of Gil Marti role. He was born in Nebraska in 1905 and died in 1982. He started working with Hollywood in 1935 Fonda's career gained momentum after his Academy Award-nominated performance in 1940's The Grapes of Wrath. He also played Abraham Lincolns role Young Mr. Lincoln. He was patriarch of famous family actors his daughter Jane Fonda, son Peter Fonda, granddaughter Bridget Fonda, and grandson Troy Garity.In 1999, he was named the sixth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute.
Fonda as Gil Martin in this film is around 30-35, tall and thin man with blue eyes. He is very brave who cared about his country and family very much. He was serious, logical and hardly smiled during the film. Although he was a typical masculine character (patriarchal) but emotionally he was very depended to Lana (his wife) and needed her supports a lot.
Claudette Colbert played Lana's role. She was born in 1903 in Paris and died in 1996. This French American actress in 1939 was nominated the best actress of Academy Award in it happened one night. Colbert was known for a versatility that led to her becoming one of the biggest box-office stars of her time. In 1999, she was ranked as the 12th greatest female star of all time by the American Film Institute. Colbert as Lana in Drums along the Mohawk was elegant, sensitive and well born who left her father's big house in Albany and married to Gil and moved to a cabin in door field. In he beginning of the film she didn’t know how to live like a frontier women and was not used to hard life. But as the story moved on and she could experience different situation and learned how be behave and how to support her husband by being strong. She worked beside her husband on the farm and while Indians invaded and they lost their properties she tried to cooperate with her husband to tolerate the hardships better.
Edna may Oliver as Mrs. McKlennar was born in 1883 in Massachusetts and died in 1942 in California. She was nominated Award Academy for her appearance in Drums along the Mohawk. During the 1930's, she was one of the American screen's best-known character actresses often playing tart-tongued spinsters. Edna was a descendant of the 6th American president John Quincy Adams. She as Mrs. McKlennar was thin, tall, very serious, tart_toungued widow who had very masculine voice. She behaved tough with men and never let them take advantage of her. But the interior part of her characteristic was very supportive not just to Gil and Martin but to all her neighbors who were suffering of Indians invasion. She didn’t scare of Indians as well. While tow Indian invade her room and burned all her stuffs she was shouting at them and sitting on her bed that was her husbands memorial and didn’t let them to burned it. This part of the film was very expressive. The bed was a symbol of the Americans sense of belonging to their land that Indians invaded it and wanted to remove them all. She gave Gil and Lana a chance to work for her and have room, food and money for survival. She was very generous as well. At the time of her death she granted all her properties to Gil and Lana.
Vocabulary
This film was in English language. The literature was not hard to me and even the accent and pronunciation of the word was clear to me. I think they didn’t have local accent that I could understand except Lana's accent seemed to me a bit close to British.
Conclusion
American exceptionalism was conceptualized in this film because Indians were depicted savage, cruel and violent people and Americans were shown as tractable. Americans didn't invade Indians unless Indians did it first. All Americans did was a reaction to Indians savagery. Drums along the Mohawk was very unilateral film that tried to depict Indians as savage and noncivilized.[1] This is by the way that Americans very cruel to them as well during the history. History is a fair document to judge about Americans and Indians. Americans had also made many troubles for Indians such as cultural, economical and political problems. Many of them were killed by Americans, their culture was manipulated by them, they were removed form their original lands. Trial of tears in 1833 showed the Americans cruel policies against Indians.
In my country, Iran there have been many films produced about Iraq/ Iran war in the early 80`s decade. In all these film Iraqi soldiers are represented as cruel, savage, violent people while Iranian soldiers are shown as religious, kind, brave and with moral values. I don’t want to ignore Iranian soldiers positive aspect. What I am trying to say is that war for both sides is violent and not pleasant. In fact war is not philanthropic. We should depict war by multilateral approach. Every action in war has a reaction. I would better if we could have more moderate approach toward showing Iraqi soldiers. The same is applying for Drums along the Mohawk. John Ford could have better attitude in depicting Indians and Americans.


[1]

Asian Americans Less Likely to Seek Social Support

December 11, 2006

University of California had offered a research on Asian Americans. This research is done by few scholars. David K. Sherman, assistant professor of psychology at UCSB. He oversaw the research project in collaboration with Heejung S. Kim, also assistant professor of psychology at UCSB, and Shelley E. Taylor, professor of psychology at UCLA. Deborah Ko, a social psychology graduate student at UCSB also participated in the research. The project is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Human and Social Dynamics program and is published in the December issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, the journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. If you want to access to the full text of Article please don’t hesitate going through the link.
This research showed that Asian Americans comparing to Americans of European extraction are less likely seek social support. The reason goes back to the culture. Although Asians have collective culture and are very depended to each other, this research showed the opposite. To clarify the whole idea of the research I will define the tow terms.
The collective culture is that member of the group are bounded to one another emotionally and the group's goal is the primary goal for each person.
The individual culture that suits for Europeans is that individual's freedom to act, think and decide is not depended t the group.
This research suggested that European Americans are more likely to seek social support as a proactive method of solving problems. This is by the way that Asian Americans believed that seeking social support will worsen the problems, burdening others, disrupting the harmony of the group and bringing shame to oneself or one's family. Asian Americans showed that bringing personal problem to the attention of others will make inappropriate demands on the group. Asian Americans also were more eager to spend their times with family rather than for their personal issues. While Europeans were more likely to individualistic matter rather than family.
This research is articulating the strong ingroup relation of Asian Americans. This strong sense of together ness makes Asian immigrants to feel more at home. Like Iranian's neighborhood in loss Angeles. They have Iranian restaurants, Iranians breads and other Iranians customs that helped them for feel more at home. There are lots of Iranians organizations all over U.S that
Or like Chinese neighborhoods. I think these communities that are based on Asian origin can help the immigrants to besides having American nationality still insist on original background of them. This is what makes them not to lean on social support that much.

Katrina hurricane increased Flows of Latin immigrants to New Orleans

Katrina hurricane as a natural calamity brought new waves of legal/ illegal immigrants to New Orleans. The hurricane formed in August 23rd 2005 that had effects on Louisiana, New Orleans and in a coastal Mississippi. By passing 15 months New Orleans demographic model is rapidly changing that absolutely the reason is Latin's immigration mostly from Mexico. Reconstruction of this city is absorbing them for seeking job and after hundreds of babies are being born to Latino immigrant workers.
This phenomenon is affecting health systems as well because many immigrant mothers cannot afford to pay for prenatal care or delivery services which are about $ 800 for the whole duration of pregnancy. The head nurse in the department’s health unit in Metairie said that before the storm, only 2 percent were Hispanic; now about 96 percent are Hispanic and doctors are delivering about 215 to 245 Hispanic babies per month that is 60-70% more that before the hurricane. This is by the way that the demographic of the health unit before was 85 % African Americans but now 85 to 90 percent are Hispanic. In this case the Catholic charities are not enough for their medical expenses and parental cares.
In 2000 census reported that Hispanics had become the nation's largest minority group. Today an increased demand among Hispanic Americans for Spanish-language media has led to the development of two national Spanish-language television networks. In addition, hundreds of U.S. radio stations broadcast in Spanish. Also, many Hispanic newspapers, magazines, and journals are published in the United States.
The articulation is Flows of immigrants toward United States of America are going to reproduce racial problems and I think the problem of ethnicity in American society will still be the matter of everyday life. American government on one hand is welcome to immigrants from different parts of the world but on the other hand after a while when they want higher life standards the government tries to suppress them. Or when they passed the crisis period and reach to better life condition and became "American citizen" they will not received respectful reaction the same as white Americans. I think American government should think of future days of immigrants before any "anti_immigration movements" takes place and know that they can not be subjected for ever. Immigrants are not "docile bodies" with any identity that Americans assimilate them to their own beliefs and ideologies. Being welcome means have enough tolerance for immigrants who are from very different cultures. The illegal immigrants have to pass special processes to become "American citizen" like learning English, of course speaking fluently, working for 6 years and paying fine. This is what president Bush also insisted on it for betterment of immigrants' life.

News Analysis
The first Muslim African American congreessman
Keith Ellison is 43 years old lawyer who has been elected to serve in the congress in the November mid term election and is the first African-American from Minnesota to be elected to the U.S congress. He is Muslim who converted to Islam when he was 19. Ellison won 56 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Alan Fine and the Independence Party's Tammy Lee, both of whom garnered 21 percent of the vote. He is opposed to Iraq war and insisted on withdrawal of American forces from Iraq. Ellison is very religious man who is inspired by the Quran's message of an encompassing divine love, and a deep faith guides his life every day. He has a moderate idea about Israel and Palestine issues that both have the right. One of the American Jewish newspapers said about him:" "In Ellison, we have a moderate Muslim who extends his hand in friendship to the Jewish community and supports the security of the State of Israel."
I think the reason why he, Keith Ellison, as Muslim African American has been elected to serve in the congress is that Immigrants issues have been controversial matter in America. There are so many demonstrations taking place in America which opposing toughening of the rules against immigrants and specially the illegal one. Also American government has made a new policy toward immigrants. The US government has unveiled a new citizenship test for immigrants which will focus on the concepts of democracy rather than on historical facts. The director of the US government's Citizenship and Immigration Services, Emilio Gonzalez said that this test is for betterment of citizen's situation. This is by the way that immigrants named this policy as anti immigrant plan. The articulation of this news pinpointed to sensitivity of immigrant's situation in America. That is why Ellison is becoming the first Muslim African American congress man to spoke from the side of people of the color.